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Hallo, Bandoeng?
Hallo, Bandoeng? is a story in the Grey Menace chapters. Characters * Philomena Develsbourne * Miranda Sucipto * Lusinda Sucipto * Wanto Sucipto * Eleanor Mangkoedimedjo * Anneke Bellringer * Zelda Bellringer * Cindy Manampiring * Jan Willem * Adela Willem * Devlin Willem * Gavin Willem * Dominique Willem * Rosminah Sutansyah * Aji Koesnadi * Prabowo Mangkoedimedjo * Adam Sutansyah Plot Arrival A few days before Eid, Philly, Mira, Lusi, Wanto, and Moes travel to Bandung to the villa of Moes' stepmother, Nenek Ros, in Ciumbuleuit. It is a special event because Nenek Ros turns 100 years on Eid. Moes looks somewhat concerned as it has been a long time since she came there for Eid, as the family would usually celebrate in Anneke's house in Cikudapateuh and Nenek Ros' previous birthdays in a restaurant downtown in previous years as opposed to their villa. There, they are greeted by Mira's cousin Zelda, Nenek Ros' caretaker and step-great-great-granddaughter. The centenarian spends most of her time sleeping, so the family decides to settle in as they wait. They are later greeted by an elderly man next door named Aji Koesnadi, whom Zelda says has been their neighbour for years, and Moes tries her best to avoid him. Jan, his wife Della, and their two sons, Devlin and Gavin, have arrived. They break fast together, and Nenek Ros comes out to join them, reuniting with Phil and introduced to Cindy. Anneke arrives a bit later with groceries, appearing distraught; she reveals privately to Lusi that her son-in-law may be cheating on her daughter Jenny, lying to the other relatives by telling them that Jenny is sick with dengue fever and her husband is taking care of her in Jakarta. Mira overhears this and relays it to Philly, and the latter tells the former to pay closer attention to other things. Meanwhile, Cindy is struggling to fit in, and Zelda and Mira try their best to encourage her into fitting in. The youngest sibling, Dominique, arrives late at night, after having not seen the family for several years due to a falling out caused by the death of their mother, Matilda Willem, and the inheritance dispute that came with it. The family hid their discomfort and greeted him warmly, though surprised at his sudden appearance. Philly talks to Dominique lovingly, and Dominique talks about his urban, dynamic life. Eid and Nenek Ros' birthday The next morning, after the Eid prayers, Moes, who falls asleep on the terrace, is woken up by Aji, much to her surprise. She talks with him, though reluctantly, and Mira sees her rushing back inside. She strikes a conversation with Aji, who noted how much she reminded her of a young Moes, and tells her that her great-grandfather was his pen pal, and during his visit to Bandung, he met and fell in love with Moes, even though Aji had secretly loved her for years. After their marriage, he sends her a letter wishing them well and confessing his true feelings, and he has never heard from her again ever since. After Nenek Ros is up, the family begins the celebration of Eid and her 100th birthday, which isn't a significantly important event for her, who comments that she is lucky to have lived long enough to have witnessed her family grow and expand, and continues by saying that she too has seen all the stupidities in this world. She says that she does not want anything too special that day and the family should do their own thing, as she simply wants to paint in peace. She is later joined by Cindy, which results in a touching moment between a great-great-great-grandmother and her great-great-great-granddaughter, both of whom are not related to each other or any of the members of the family by blood. Meanwhile, the family goes around town to show Phil the sights; clothing outlets, antique shops, historical monuments, and the famous Maison Bogerijen or Braga Permai. Though Wanto and Lusi worries that she finds Bandung's changes are horrendous (since she comments a lot on how much Bandung has changed), she appears quite joyful and enjoys the experience with her family. During the cruise of the town, Moes looks forlornly at certain spots, something only Mira notices. Meddling The next morning, Mira talks to Phil in the back garden about what she has noticed. Phil remarks that she feels nothing for the changes done in Bandung, change being an integral part of everything, just like it is in the family. It is impossible to keep old Bandung as it is, just as how it is impossible for Moes to still be friends with Aji, how the relationship between Dominique and his siblings won't be the same again, and how Jenny's impending marital problems are to be expected. Mira remarks that it is sad and she says she wants to know how to fix it. Phil says that she can't, because it is not her problem to fix and there are some things in this world that cannot be fixed. Phil used to feel the same way, but she has decided to let things go by as they are. Mira decides to talk to Moes about Aji, asking about their friendship back then. Mira asks Moes to come with her to visit Aji and just to talk to him, telling her that it may be the last time they will meet and that they don't have to talk about everything--they just have to talk. They come over and help Aji with his garden, as Aji tells Mira stories of when they were young. Meanwhile, Dominique comes over to talk to Phil again, asking her if it's okay for him to stay a few days in Paterosari. Phil is thrilled, but Dominique asks her to tell the others that it is she who invited him there. Phil tells him to go ask his sister himself and takes him with her to meet Lusi and Jan, who are feeding the kids, and Phil helps them reconnect by making Dominique talk about what he has been up to, and he eventually asks if he could stay over at Paterosari for a while, to which Lusi excitedly agrees to. On the way home, Phil then tells Mira that there's no such thing as closure, and that nobody will make a difference by just apologizing, as it has to be followed with real action. Trying to fix everything will also end badly, as everything is on shaky foundation, much like what's going on with Anne. The story ends with Moes checking the mail at home, finding that Aji has mailed her, which makes her smile. Phil's voiceover says that, though not everything can be changed or fixed, and that though you cannot forgive and forget everything, some people just get on with their lives. Category:Stories